The Mothers of Srebrenica condemned the exaltation of Mladic: 'Chetnic ideology will not step foot in Potočara'

The body of war criminal Ratko Mladić, once the commander of the Army of the Republika Srpska, who died on August 27 in The Hague serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes, will be buried today around 2 p.m. at the Topčider Cemetery in Belgrade. His body will be placed in the Church of Saint Luke on Vidikovac from 7 a.m. to noon, after which the funeral rites will begin. Thousands of citizens have gathered in line to enter the church and pay respects to the man responsible for the massacre of approximately 8,000 Srebrenica victims. Among them is Alexander Vulin, a member of the Senate of the Republika Srpska. A large number of buses with license plates from Serbia, the Republika Srpska, and Montenegro are parked in the surrounding area. Nearby streets have been closed to traffic, and the street near the church, Knez Višeslav Street, has been decorated with Serbian flags. Police officers are stationed at intersections. Svetozar Andrić, a member of the team organizing the funeral procession, previously told the SRNA agency that a column would be formed to escort Mladić's body to the Topčider Cemetery, where he will be buried beside his daughter Ana. Upon arrival at the cemetery, Mladić’s remains will be accompanied by a ceremonial military procession, followed by a formal salute and farewell speech, according to Andrić. In several local municipalities within the Republika Srpska and Montenegro, transport has been organized for those interested in attending the funeral. President of Serbia Aleksander Vučić stated he will hold a meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan during the funeral procession, "whose visit had been postponed for several months." However, honoring the criminal was done by his son Danilo. The commemoration in Belgrade was attended by Serbia’s Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić, President of the Republika Srpska Siniša Karan, and Radan Ostojić, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Bosnian entity. On the other hand, numerous European officials condemned paying tribute to Mladić. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos canceled her planned visit to Belgrade scheduled for September 10, during which she was supposed to meet representatives of the government, opposition, and civil society, because she considers the "celebration accompanying his death inconsistent with the values upon which the European path rests." Vučić called Kos's statement "stupid." Mladić’s son Darko, during a television interview, asked people planning to attend the funeral not to buy flowers, but instead to contribute the money they would have spent on flowers to humanitarian organizations of their choice, or to one of the organizations collecting funds for the treatment of sick children. Earlier, at a press conference, where he claimed his father died due to negligent treatment in the prison hospital, he urged citizens to attend in large numbers to "dignify and peacefully accompany him," adding that the day should not be "an occasion for conflicts." Near the gathering site, a video wall and public toilets have been installed, and municipal services have cleaned the surrounding area over the past two days. At the entrances to the Church of Saint Luke, Serbian flags have been placed, and the clergy of the Orthodox church have invited believers and volunteers to help organize due to the expected large crowd. The body of war criminal Ratko Mladić was displayed in the Church of Saint Apostles Luke in Belgrade following a commemoration held Saturday at the House of the Army of Serbia in Belgrade. Mladić, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide in Srebrenica in July 1995, for the persecution and forced displacement of Bosniaks and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, sniper activity, shelling, and terrorizing civilians during the siege of Sarajevo, and for taking members of UN peacekeeping forces hostage as retaliation for NATO bombings in 1995, was displayed in the church. A column of people arrived early in the morning to pay homage to the war criminal, according to Slobodna Dalmacija. The procession was expected until noon when the funeral rites would begin. On the coffin were his cap and sword, and in front of the coffin, along with Mladić's photograph, were medals and a wreath in the colors of the Serbian flag, while members of the Army of Serbia stood beside the coffin. Mladić, who was legally sentenced for the genocide in Srebrenica, for the persecution and forced displacement of Bosniaks and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, sniper activity, shelling, and terrorizing civilians during the siege of Sarajevo, and for taking members of UN peacekeeping forces hostage as retaliation for NATO bombings in 1995, will be buried today at the Topčider Cemetery in Belgrade. The Mothers of Srebrenica strongly condemned the revival of Chetnik ideology after messages from fans of Crvena Zvezda and Partizan, who glorified war criminal Ratko Mladić, while the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina criticized the direct broadcast of his commemoration from Belgrade on the Radio-television of the Republika Srpska (RTRS). During last night's match between Belgrade football clubs, a large photo of Mladić was displayed on the stands, and one of the messages that could be heard was his order "Direction Potocari," which fans of both clubs alluded to his order before the genocide in Srebrenica in the summer of 1995. "Direction Potocari is not cheering. It is a message of hatred, inciting genocide and glorifying the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić," said the Mothers of Srebrenica. They emphasized that such messages are part of the Chetnik ideology and warned that in Potocari, where there is a large memorial complex cemetery, the Chetnik ideology would never again enter. "But today, Potocari have their guardians, the Mothers of Srebrenica. The Chetnik ideology will never again step into Potocari," they said. They called on institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international community to react and sanction the glorification of war criminals and messages that "incite genocide." Since this morning, the entity's Radio Television of the Republika Srpska has been broadcasting the commemoration of the war criminal Ratko Mladić from Belgrade. This move was condemned by the OSCE Mission. They expressed concern about the broadcast of the commemoration on RTRS, during which speakers repeatedly glorified Mladić. "Particular concern arises from the fact that content glorifying the convicted war criminal has been transmitted to the wider public without appropriate editorial context and without reference to judicially established facts," said the OSCE. The OSCE called the Communications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to assess whether RTRS violated program rules. The body of war criminal Ratko Mladić was buried at the Topčider Cemetery in Belgrade with military honors. Many thousands of people attended the burial, including many members of the Serbian government, politicians, and veterans from the Republika Srpska, whose army Mladić commanded during the war. According to police estimates, about 8,000 people have gathered in the queue in front of the church, and entry can take up to an hour and a half. Mladić's coffin has been on display since morning in the church near the Topčider Cemetery, and the burial is expected around 2 p.m. According to RTV reports, citing the Serbian Orthodox Church, the church ceremony at noon should be led by Patriarch Porfirije, although this has not been confirmed in an official statement from the SPC to the media. Mladić will be buried in the family tomb at the Topčider Cemetery, next to his daughter Ana. Police estimate that about 8,000 people have arrived. A long line of people who want to pass by the coffin has formed in front of the church. Journalists from Detektor.ba report that the line is about 250 meters long and that entry is expected to take between one and one and a half hours. State-controlled Serbian media report that people from different parts of Serbia and the Republika Srpska have arrived in Belgrade. Among the first was Radan Ostojić, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Republika Srpska. He said for RTRS that Mladić "has reunited the nation again" and asserted that "today history is being written for the Serbian nation." Veterans, "Red Berets," "Kobras"... In front of the church, there are groups directing the gathered people. Detektor journalists noticed members of the "Panther Guard," the Association of Veterans "Red Berets," the Special Operations Unit Bratunac, the police, and civilian security. Representatives of different veteran and combat associations alternate in front of the coffin, and among the gathered are veterans associated with special units such as "Kobra" and former Special Operations Units of Serbia. Alongside the coffin are members of Mladić's family, including his wife Bosiljka and son Darko. Arrived even Russian "Night Wolves" At the entrance to the church, members